Remember Rodney Dangerfield,
the comedian always complaining that he “gets no respect”? That’s how Waterbury line commuters (and
local officials) feel. Their little
branch line gets no respect.
In fact, the Waterbury
branch of Metro-North is the longest of three branch lines: 27 miles from the mainline (at Devon) to
Waterbury. It carries about 1000
passengers a day… the same as a single ten-car train on the mainline.
The service on the branch is
abysmal: only two rush hour trains in
the morning and three at night. If you
miss the 6:03 pm train from Bridgeport you have to wait 2 ½ hours for the next
train. The diesel locomotives are old
and hard to maintain, breaking down often so riders must take buses.
And the on-time performance
has been as low as an underwhelming 75% in recent months. The stations lack any amenities, are old, decrepit
and hardly attractive. And they’ve been
that way for years, despite local mayors’, developers and activists’ cries for
improvement.
That’s why I wanted to
attend a recent “Rail Conference” in Naugatuck, bringing together everyone
interested in improving the trains to face off with local State Rep’s and
Senators who can make it happen. It was
a real eye-opener.
The venue was an old
UniRoyal building on Rubber Ave, a sad looking structure next to a potholed
parking lot. My GPS said I was in the
right place, but there was no signage aside from the women’s clothing sale
going on in the first floor. Heading
upstairs I found the meeting room… complete with a bar.
Inside the pols were
gathering, the mayors on one side of the table, the state elected officials on
the other. Across the state these
meetings happen before the legislature comes into session, giving the lawmakers
their marching orders.
Two years ago, the same
meeting was held and the same cries were heard to “fix our trains”. But little has happened.
Rail sidings are being built
and a signal system installed, but ‘til then only one train can operate on the
line, in either direction, at one time.
The mayors speechified that
the Naugatuck Valley was ripe for development.
In Ansonia alone there are 40 empty acres in downtown… never mind that
much of the entire valley land is polluted from factories of the past, scaring
off developers.
Still, people are flocking
to the Valley for the affordable homes and good schools, but they can’t get to
work because train service is so poor.
Why no progress on new cars and better service? The mayors blame the legislature while the
state elected officials blame the Governor.
With limited funding the
CDOT prioritizes the mainline, Shore Line East and the new Hartford Line for
investment.
One veteran observed that in
the good old days, the Democrats and Republicans in Hartford would work
together on common issues like transportation.
But today, not even House minority leader Themis Klarides, representing
Derby, can get her fellow lawmakers to achieve consensus.
“She seems more interested
in fighting over tolls and taxes than delivering for her district,” said one
observer to me on the sidelines.
The potential for the Valley
is huge, both for commuters and freight.
But the legislators keep making excuses instead of making deals. Will things be any different this year? Stay tuned.
Posted with permission of Hearst CT Media